The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting applications from eligible applicants to support Tribes in the E-Enterprise.
Donor Name: Environmental Protection Agency
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/16/2023
Size of the Grant: $1,000,000
Grant Duration: 4 years
Details:
The goal is to support and enhance tribal participation in E-Enterprise by providing tribes necessary research, training, and technical assistance (RTTA) as outlined in assistance listing 66.611. Under this solicitation, EPA intends to select one recipient by awarding a cooperative agreement. The scope of work is broad and may cross between many environmental program areas (commonly referred to multi-media or cross-media) including but not limited to air, climate, water, chemical safety, land clean-up and revitalization, enforcement and compliance, and environmental justice.
To support and enhance tribal participation, EPA previously awarded a cooperative agreement to support tribal government representatives in E-Enterprise. The former grantee provided technical assistance to tribes to deliver environmental results, as well as build strength and capacity for tribal coregulators to participate in innovation and streamlined processes in governmental services. Workplan activities included the following:
- Provided travel assistance, including travel support and reimbursement to attend all in person/hybrid E-Enterprise related meetings, trainings, workshops, and communicating/outreach events.
- Supported the development of agendas for EELC, MB and IOT meeting. Agendas were inclusive of tribal perspectives. The grantee worked with tribes to ensure tribes provided input to the meeting discussions, Strategic Direction, project portfolio, and coordinated site-visits when meetings were located in Indian Country.
- Supported the tribal EELC representatives through analyses, studies, and technical assistance for E-Enterprise projects. Support tribal participation across all environmental program areas, included training, research, and disseminating information on E-Enterprise projects with a tribal focus. Past projects included the Data Debris Recovery Tool, Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP) Streamlining Effort, the Pesticides Matching Label, Software Procurements for Tribal Environmental Professionals, the Enterprise Community Platform, the Compliance Learning Agenda, the Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Load Tracking and Implementation System (ATTAINs), and E-reporting on Water Quality Roadmap.
- Provided outreach, training, and technical assistance as it relates to tools and services needed to improve and streamline environmental protection in Indian Country, specifically leveraging the E-Enterprise Bulletin and national conferences, workshops and trainings. Developed weekly emails to tribal representatives on relevant work, developed briefing materials to support participation in discussions, and contributed to the E-Enterprise National Meeting to ensure tribal interests are included.
- Convened tribal environmental program managers to share tribal perspectives with EPA and States on initiatives, guidances and other technological, data management and streamlined processes. This included coordination with the Regional Tribal Operations Committees.
- Provided technical support on most E-Enterprise planning with EPA and Environmental Council of States (ECOS) staff to ensure tribal experiences are captured in E-Enterprise meeting agendas and project work; help provide tribal perspectives on framing issues related environmental modernization efforts calls (note, EPA hires a contractor to assist with conference call logistics).
The applicant’s proposal, including the outputs and outcomes must address Task 1 and Task 2, including the time and budget allocated to the 2 tasks.
- Task 1: Support for and participation in E-Enterprise Governance and Project Teams
- The selected applicant will provide technical assistance and support to ensure federally recognized tribes can participate in E-Enterprise with the goal to work together through a shared governance process to streamline and modernize environmental programs.
- Task 2: Training and technical assistance resources for federally recognized tribes related to Enterprise for the Environment
- The selected applicant will provide and coordinate technical assistance, outreach and communication, as well as training with the goal to increase awareness and gather further interest in E-Enterprise amongst all federally recognized tribes. The goal is to make E-Enterprise more responsive to tribes and better understand how tribes can leverage as well as benefit from streamlined services, as well as modernization efforts in tribal environmental programs. An applicant may also propose other technical assistance and training tasks.
Funding Information
It is anticipated that a total of approximately $1,000,000 will be awarded under this solicitation. The award will depend on the availability of funds, quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. In 2024, the total funding is not expected to exceed $200,000. EPA may exercise the option to extend and incrementally fund the cooperative agreement for up to four additional years.
Eligibility Criteria
Consistent with Assistance Listing No. 66.611 and EPA’s Policy for Competition of Assistance Agreements (EPA Order 5700.5A1), competition under this solicitation is generally available to Interstate, Intrastate, State (includes District of Columbia, public institutions of higher education and hospitals), Local (includes State-designated lndian Tribes, excludes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Public nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Federally Recognized lndian Tribal Governments, U.S. Territories and possessions (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Individual/Family, Private nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals).
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
